A KMAX Helicopter Pilot Shares About the KMAX

 I have been fascinated by the KMAX helicopter because it is different from other helicopters. The KMAX is a type 1 helicopter that is know for its heavy lift capabilities. The KMAX does see service fighting wildfires. I last wrote about KMAX where I shared a couple of videos about the KMAX in June 2020. The KAMAN company which manufactures the KMAX has a specification page for the KMAX helicopter.

As I perusing some of my haunts on social media I came across a video shared on a Facebook page devoted to the Chilcoot and Ridge Fires 2023 that are currently burning in the Umpqua National Forest near Roseburg, Oregon, see InciWeb page on the 2023 Chilcoot Wildfire for additional information. As I write this the 2023 Chilcoot Wildfire has burned 1,904 acres and is at 60 percent containment.

In the video, which I am embedding below, you will hear Bruno Levi, a KMAX pilot with ROTAK Helicopter Services discuss the capabilities of the KMAX. The KMAX, flown by one pilot, is considered a flying truck by some, with the capability of lifting 6,000 pounds. The bucket capacity is 600 to 700 gallons.

A brief look at the KMAX helicopter

Ever so often over the years that I have been writing this blog on aerial wildland firefighting I have come across reports and/or videos of KMAX helicopters working wildfires, mostly in the western United States. For no apparent reason I was curious about the KMAX so I did a search on Youtube and come across the two videos that I am embedding below. I learned a lot about the KMAX by watching these videos and I hope you do as well.

Direct link to video uploaded by blancolirio on Youtube 

I learned about the video below from blancolirio.

Direct link to video uploaded by Jay B.

Hydromulching: k-max

I enjoyed this short video of the Kaman K-Max helicopter performing hydromulch operations on Starky Slope near Parachute, Colorado. According to the information on youtube, the area being hydromulched is over or near a pipeline owned by Williams Gas. While it appears that this particular hydromulching operation may not be related post-fire rehabilitation, it does suggest that the K-max helicopter can be used in Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) related hydromulching operations

K-MAX around the world

Kaman K-MAX

When I was coming up with the list of type 1 helicopters that I just finished writing about, I came upon the Kaman K-MAX. If you have watched the video that I have embedded from the July 2009 airshow in Binghamton NY, then you have seen that the K-MAX has no tail rotor. The K-MAX is a different kind of helicopter using something that is known as synchropter technology where there are contra-rotating, inter-meshing rotor blades. In this design, a tail rotor is not necessary.

The K-MAX is designed for heavy lifting, where it is rated to lift 6,000 pounds with its cargo hook. For specifications, go here. A couple of videos, including a ten minute video introducing the K-MAX, "K-MAX around the world" may be found on this Kaman K-MAX web page. This same video may be found on you tube, I'll make a post embedding that video a little later.

The fire fighting version of the K-MAX is known as the FIREMAX. The FIREMAX has a 700 gallon fixed tank, and I believe that it also has the capacity for bucket operations although I'm not sure how large the bucket is.

Aviastar has a page with information about the K-MAX at this location.